Teyonah Parris Quotes

Teyonah Parris

Profession : Actress

Birth : September 22, 1987

I went to middle school and high school, and my drama teacher, Ms. Cooper, basically nurtured me. It was always a part of my life, and my parents allowed it to be.

Teyonah Parris

I got my first relaxer when I was nine years old. This was in the '90s, and I convinced my mom to let me perm my hair so I could wear a French roll with the crimps in the front.

Teyonah Parris

I've wanted to be an actress my whole life, and the - none of the women I aspired to be like had natural hair.

Teyonah Parris

It feels good to be a role model for little girls who don't often see natural hair on the red carpet.

Teyonah Parris

I was a wild child tomboy.

Teyonah Parris

When you just come into a show that's already established, you feel that they're family, and they have a way of doing things and running things.

Teyonah Parris

When I look at material, I get excited by things that are telling the truth because that's what you want to do: tell somebody else's truth.

Teyonah Parris

When I looked at 'Dear White People,' you have four African-American students who are all very different and who are trying to figure out who they are. They're dealing with identity issues and crises. That is exciting to me, to see African-American young people on a page, on a screen, who are so diverse and whose stories are all so different.

Teyonah Parris

I, for myself, have wanted to get more into producing because I want to be a part of the conversation and be one of the voices in the story we're trying to tell.

Teyonah Parris

When I'm filming, I keep my hair in cornrows so that they can fit a wig on top of my hair.

Teyonah Parris

I try to be very particular about the roles I choose and what they say and put into the universe. I try to do my part.

Teyonah Parris

When you get into this industry and the restrictions placed on women, first, and then on women on color, next? Yeah, this business comes with its challenges. But I do not shy away from those challenges.

Teyonah Parris

When you get older, you start to doubt, and you put limitations on yourself. But little Teyonah had no fear.

Teyonah Parris

Ever since I was maybe nine or 10 years old, I'd say, 'I'm gonna be an actor, and I'm gonna go to Julliard, and I'm gonna be in movies.' My parents never said, 'What's your backup plan?'

Teyonah Parris

I always want to tell the truth. It doesn't have to be a pretty truth, and it doesn't have to be a life-changing and life-threatening truth like 'Chi-Raq.' But I want to tell someone's truth in an effort to inspire people to see themselves reflected on the screen.

Teyonah Parris

Every time I get a role, or the opportunity to explore a role, I look at it, and I think, 'What is the story we're trying to tell here?'

Teyonah Parris

When you have filmmakers like Justin Simien, writers, producers, actresses like Lena Waithe, who are people of color, they're creating their own content and saying, 'You know what? We're not going to wait on someone else to tell our story. We're going to do it ourselves. You can be a part of it or not.'

Teyonah Parris

Why aren't there films being made that tell ethnically diverse stories? Or why is it so impossible to allow a person of color to add their texture and their essence to a role that is not ethnically specific? I don't know why it's a novel or risky idea to consider making a film look like how our world actually looks today.

Teyonah Parris

The person that inspired me throughout most of my childhood was Angela Bassett.

Teyonah Parris

I went straight from filming the second season of 'Survivor's Remorse,' and the creators over there were so supportive in letting me go early so I could film 'Chi-Raq.' And that was an amazing experience.

Teyonah Parris